United States Policy Toward Guatemala an Annotated Bibliography
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United States Policy Toward Guatemala An annotated bibliography By Eric Jenes December 4, 2008 LIS 541: Government Documents Final Project 1 INTRODUCTION The United States has long had interest in the Central American republic of Guatemala. During the 19th Century and the first half of the 20th Century, Guatemala was a major agricultural exporter to the U.S., largely through the Untied Fruit Co. In 1944, students lead a revolution in Guatemala which eventually overthrew a right-wing leader whom the Americans had friendly relations. Following the ascension of President Arbenz, a communist sympathizing leader, the United States funneled military assistance to capitalist dissidents and military leaders. This lead to a coup in 1954, which was followed by close to forty years of civil war between the government of Guatemala and armed guerillas. Through those periods of warfare, U.S. administrations offered military and security assistance to the Guatemalan regimes, though often with reservations. In the mid 90s, the UN brokered a peace agreement between the government and rebel guerillas groups. Today, U.S.-Guatemalan relations are focused on expanding free trade and fighting drug trafficking. METHODOLOGY The documents assembled in this bibliography were culled from a variety of sources. The Congressional Serial Set, THOMAS, and GPO Access were all useful in researching U.S. policy toward Guatemala in Congressional and Executive acts. While print collections were useful for a few State Department documents, free text searching helped differentiate between meaningful and unhelpful documents. There were 2 numerous bills that mentioned, or dealt with Guatemala, but few actually articulated U.S. policy toward the country. For this reason, the full text searching made available by the Congressional Serial Set, THOMAS, and GPO Access was especially helpful. Though those sources were adequate for some research, through several decades the Untied States conducted its affairs in Guatemala clandestinely. Documents describing these activities would have to be classified, and these were made available by the National Security Archives hosted by George Washington University, and from a number of State Department publications containing declassified documents about Guatemala. Those publications are also listed in the annotated bibliography. I was also able to find the peace agreements signed by Guatemala and the rebel groups through the Digital Library of International Peace, which has full text peace accords. The documents section on the United Nations site unfortunately did not contain those peace agreements, so I had to consult an outside source. 3 ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. U.S. House. Committee on Foreign Affairs. Henry Savage. January 30, 1874. – Committed to a Committee of the Whole House and ordered to be printed. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1874. Serial Set Vol. No. 1623, Session Vol. No. 1. This is a letter written by one Henry Savage to the Committee on Foreign Affairs in the House of Representatives. Henry Savage was an American businessman living in Guatemala, who, over a period of two decades, had served in a de-facto role as an American ambassador. This is a letter requesting compensation for his services, and illustrates the hands-off approach that the United States took toward Guatemala in the 19th Century. 2. U.S. Senate. International Bureau of the American Republics. Tariffs of the American Republics, in three volumes. Volume II. Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica, Cuba and Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1892. Serial Set Vol. No. 2897, Session Vol. No. 3. Through most of the 19th Century, trade was of paramount importance between the Untied States and Guatemala. This document is a report given to the Senate, which details the tariffs levied by Central American countries, including Guatemala. 3. U.S. Senate. International Bureau of the American Republics. Laws of the American Republics relating to immigration and the sale of public lands. Bulleting no. 53. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1892. Serial Set vol. No. 2902-2, Session Vol. No. 7. This is another document prepared by the International Bureau of American Republics, this time dealing with immigration and the sale of public lands in Central America. While immigration was less important than it is today, the sale of public lands was an issue considered very important. The United Fruit Co., an American company, was the largest landowner in Guatemala at the time. As such, the federal government had a keen interest in the sale of public lands, as this could benefit US industry. 4. U.S. Senate. Bureau of the American Republics. Guatemala. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1892. Serial Set Vol. No. 2895, Session Vol. No. 3. This is a 112-page Senate Executive Document that details everything about Guatemala, which discusses everything from the political situation to transportation to agriculture. During this period of U.S.-Guatemalan relations, Guatemala primarily 4 served as an agricultural supplier to the United States via the Untied Fruit Co. This document gives the best account of the U.S. assessment of Guatemala in that era. 5. U.S. Senate. President Woodrow Wilson. President Estrada Cabrera of Guatemala. Message from the President of the United States, transmitting, in response to a Senate resolution… a report from the Acting Secretary of State concerning the signing and observance of articles of capitulation under the terms of which President Cabrera…January 18 (calendar day January 21), 1921. – Read; referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations, and ordered to be printed. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1921. Serial Set Vol. No. 7794, Session Vol. No. 16. This is a message from President Woodrow Wilson to the Senate concerning the resignation of Guatemalan President Estrada Cabrera. President Cabrera had repressed a social movement known as the Unionistas. In the judgment of the Secretary of State, the Unionista movement had been completely lawful, and President Cabrera had acted unwisely in his oppression. The document also notes that much of the violence had been exaggerated by Cabrera, as well as a rumor that the Unionistas sought to unify all Central American Republics. The document shows both U.S. opposition to a unified Central American Republic and a laissez-faire attitude toward local social movements, provided they are lawful. 6. U.S. House. Committee on Ways and Means. Implementing the Inter-American Coffee Agreement. March 26, 1941. – Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1941. Serial Set Vol. No. 10553, Session Vol. No. 2. In 1941, The United States signed the Inter-American Coffee Agreement, which allowed coffee imports of certain levels for a number of different Latin American countries, including Guatemala. The Act was designed to protect a certain share of the market for each of the coffee producing nations, in an effort to maintain longstanding agricultural partnerships. 7. U.S. House. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Report on the first year of lend-lease operations. Message from the President of the United States transmitting a report on the first year of lend-lease operations. March 11, 1942. – Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and ordered to be printed with illustrations. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1942. Serial Set Vol. No. 10688, Session Vol. No. 9. During World War II, Guatemala was a participant in the lend-lease program, as President Roosevelt deemed its protection vital to U.S. national interests. The entire Central American region participated in the lend-lease program, but this is an indication of the increased role the United States would play in the region following the war. 5 8. U.S. House. President Harry S. Truman. Inclusion of escape clauses in existing trade agreements. Message from the President of the United States transmitting a report on the inclusion of escape clauses in existing trade agreements, pursuant to subsection (b) of section 6 of the Trade Agreements Extension Act 1951 (Public Law 50, 82d Cong.). January 3, 1952. – Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means and ordered to be printed. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1953. Serial Set Vol. No. 11689, Session Vol. No. 10. This is a communication between President Harry Truman and Congress concerning escape clauses in trade agreements. In 1944, there was a social revolution in Guatemala, where the government had been overthrown. The U.S. paid it little attention until the early 1950s, when the new government began proposing major land reforms, which would threaten U.S. interests, particularly those of the United Fruit Co. The document illustrates the increased willingness by the Untied States in Guatemala to oppose any perceived communist expansion. 9. U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. Memorandum from the Chief of the Western Hemisphere Division, Central Intelligence Agency to the Deputy Director for Plans, Central intelligence Agency January 11, 1952. Estimate of situation in Guatemala. Central Intelligence Agency, Job 79-01025A, Box 151, Folder 4. This is a communication between two directors at the CIA, detailing the situation in Guatemala at the beginning of the year. The document details communist, as well as anti-communist activities in the region. The memo discusses the illness of President Arbenz, a U.S. foe, and discusses